Topic: Brain Initiative

World Autism Awareness Day 2015 prompted a critique of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) and its role in expanding the autism spectrum for the pharmaceutical industry. While the Obama administration committed $150 million to the BRAIN Initiative and signed the Autism CARES Act, critics argue the medicalization of the spectrum overlooks the high intelligence of many individuals. Figures like Bill Gates are cited as examples of successful individuals who may fall on the spectrum.

President Obama visited the National Institutes of Health to promote the BRAIN Initiative and tour vaccine research facilities. During his remarks, he joked about his lack of scientific background while describing complex laboratory processes like cloning virus genes into vaccine vectors.

The hosts review recent presidential proclamations, focusing on World Autism Awareness Day and the CDC's timely report on autism rates. They criticize the "BRAIN Initiative" (Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies) mentioned in Obama's proclamation, arguing that the focus has shifted to "controlling" autism with drugs rather than solving it.

President Obama's announcement of a $100 million initiative to map the human brain is analyzed as a boon for the pharmaceutical and insurance industries. The hosts note the timing of the announcement on World Autism Awareness Day and suggest the funding is a "starter crumb" for long-term corporate research. They argue the project is more about prescribing drugs than scientific discovery.